After breaking the frame in the 1982 Toyota Longbed, the OP was able to find a new frame in good shape. Once getting the new chassis to his house, he began the slow process of preparing the new frame and the truck for the swap.
He began by getting the new frame ready for the parts from the original truck, followed by adding the axles, the suspension bits and the drivetrain while the cab was off getting refinished by a body shop.
Once the cab was finished, the OP began the rebuild, adding the cab, the doors, the fenders, the bed and the hood. After a fresh coat of paint was applied to the whole body with a healthy dose of undercoating on the back-side of the panels, the OP added a set of factory-style graphics.
Finally, the interior got a full re-do as well with a set of seats that look a bit more natural in this 1982 Toyota pickup, near flooring and new boots on the transmission and transfer case shifters.
All-in-all, this two-phase build project took more than five years, but the result is an absolutely gorgeous 1982 Toyota Longbed pickup that will handle itself in the roughest off-road conditions.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
